Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.

com/abstract=1982675
Sahih as Rigorously authenticated and Hasan as Authenticated:
Unwarranted translations and creating misperceptions


Dr. Mohammad Omar Farooq
1

Associate Professor of Economics and Finance
Upper Iowa University

November 2006



My introduction to hadith literature was during my youth, going back almost thirty years. Thus, I have
been familiar with the basic terminologies of hadith classification, such as sahih, hasan, daif, etc. Only
recently, I came across the expression rigorously authenticated. During my participation in IBFnet, the
premier internet forum about Islamic finance and banking, one of the threads I participated in was related
to Riba and hadith. Based on my reading of the book Interest in Islamic Economics: Understanding Riba
by Abdulkader Thomas [Routedge, 2006], I publicly posed a question to the author on IBFnet.
2


Message #5464
3

In the Chapter The juridical meaning of Riba, Sh. Zuhayli cites a hadith as following:
"Hakim relates on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud that the Prophet said, 'Riba is of seventy three
kinds, the lightest in seriousness of which is as bad as one's marrying his own mother; for the
Muslim who practices riba goes mad.' " [Thomas, p. 27] Endnote #6 adds: "Related by Ibn Majah
in a shortened version, and by Hakim in its complete form, deeming it rigorously authenticated."

I further added the comment:

I wrote to Br. Thomas that Ibn Majah adds the following comments about that hadith. "According
to al-Zawa'id, its isnad contains in it Najsh b. Abdur Rahman Al Ma'shar. The scholars are
unanimous on declaring him daif [i.e., weak]." [Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 3, #2274, p. 351.] Actually,
many other notable scholars have rejected that hadith, saying that it doesn't even go all the way
to the Prophet.

Well, the author never responded to that query. Then, another participant, Atif Khan,
4
used the same
expression in the context of another thread [Message #5698]: The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him
peace) commanded us to adhere to the jamaa (Tirmidhi, rigorously authenticated), I was still not
familiar with the expression, so I posed the question again to Atif Khan. The reply to the question came
with some implied pity for me that how is it that I didnt already know this. Atif Khan wrote: Im surprised
rigorously authenticated eluded you: sahih; just authenticated, hasan. These terms are not a matter of
dispute; they are a matter of convention, adopted by generations of Arabist translators.
5


So now I know that rigorously authenticated is a new translation for sahih and authenticated is for
hasan. Obviously, I was under the mistaken impression that it is a new categorization in hadith

1
Currently the author is the Head of the Centre for Islamic Finance, Bahrain Institute of Banking and
Finance.
2
Abdulkader Thomas is the founder of American Journal of Islamic Finance (AJIF), and author of several
books on Islamic finance. He has an impressive array of experience in the field, including as Principal in Strategic
Guidance, LLC and President & CEO of SAMAD American Holding Corp.. For more details, visit the site of AJIF.
3
Accessing the messages may require subscription to the forum. To subscribe, visit IBFnet.
4
Atif Khan writes and lectures on Islamic economics and finance. He studied Economic Development at
Harvard University and has worked as an investment banker with Morgan Stanley in New York and London. [Link] He
manages Islamic Banking training and advisory services at BankT&D and is supported by a team of seasoned
bankers. He also enjoys close access to respected and experienced Shariah advisors. [Link ]
5
Message #5710; emphasis is mine.
Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1982675
classification. Well, there is a reason why I wasnt aware of or familiar with this new translation, which,
according to Atif Khan, has been in vogue through the contribution of arabist translators. Unfortunately,
in his typical style, Atif Khan does not bother to explain or give an example of the arabist translators who
may have contributed to such new translations.

Regardless, the fact of the matter is that hardly there are any reputable scholars of hadith, fiqh or other
pertinent Islamic fields, who have either used such translations in the past or adopted it in recent times.
First, let us survey the relevant literature, so that it is established that I am not sharing merely my
impressions, but my observations are duly corroborated.

Prof. Ahmad Hasan (translator of Sunan Abu Dawud)
In addition to translating Sunan Abu Dawud, his books on Ijma (consensus), Qiyas (analogical
reasoning) and Usul al-Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) are highly regarded as reference work in the
respective subjects.
6


"Sahih (sound). A faultless hadith in which there is no weakness either in the chain
(isnad) or in the text (matn).

Hasan (approved). A hadith like a sahih but for the fact that some of its narrators are
found to have defective memory in comparison to the narrators of a sahih hadith. It is
inferior to sahih."
7



Abdul Hamid Siddiqi (translator of Sahih Muslim)
He has also translated into English one of the well known books of Imam al-Ghazali, Mishkat al-
Masabih.

"Sahih (sound). "This name is given to the utterly faultless hadith in which there is no
weakness either in the chain (isnad) or in the text (matn) and in which there is no
tendency to contradict any established belief of Islam.

Hasan (Approved) is a sahih tradition except for the fact that some of its narrators are
found to have a defective memory in comparison to the narrators of Sahih hadith."
8


Muhammad Tufail Ansari (translator of Sunan Ibn-i-Majah)

Sahih (Sound).
9


Sheikh Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf (a scholar with Sunnipath)

"The Science of Hadith: An Introduction
Sahih (correct/proper form):
Hassan (good/well)
10


Prof. Fazlur Rahman
He should not need any introduction. He was a professor at the University of Chicago and one of
the foremost Islamic intellectuals and academic Muslim scholars of twentieth century.

6
The Doctrine of Ijma' in Islam [Kitab Bhavan, India 1992]; Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence [Kazi
Pubns,1993]; Analogical reasoning in Islamic jurisprudence: A study of the juridical principle of qiyas [Islamic
Research Institute, 1986]
7
Sunan Abu Dawud, English Translation with Explanatory Notes by Ahmad Hasan, Kitab Bhaban, 1990,
Vol. 1, p. xi.
8
Sahih Muslim, Trans. by Abdul Hamid Siddiqi, Lahore: Sh. Muhammad Ashraf, Vol. I, p. ix.
9
Sunan Ibn-i-Majah. translated by Muhammad Tufail Ansari, New Delhi: Kitab Bhavan, 2000, Some Terms
Explained Vol, 5, p. vii.
10
http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00002867.aspx
On the basis of these investigations, the Hadiths were classified into various categories
such as genuine, good, weak, ...
11



Dr. Muhammad Mustafa Azami
His works on hadith studies and research are considered as reference by our contemporary
generation of scholars and researchers.

"Sahih (authentic)
Hasan (agreeable)"
12



Dr. Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi
He was the late Professor of Islamic Culture at Calcutta University. His book on hadith literature is
one of the most well known scholarly reference works. The new edition of his book was edited
and revised by a western Muslim scholar, Abdul Hakim Murad.

"Sahih (sound), Hasan (fair)"
13


Dr. Suhaib Hassan
He is the author of a well know work on hadith studies.

"According to the reliability and memory of the reporters; the final judgment on a hadith
depends crucially on this factor: verdicts such as sahih (sound), hasan (good), da'if
(weak) and maudu' (fabricated, forged) rest mainly upon the nature of the reporters in the
isnad."
14



Hasan al-Banna
He also should not need any introduction. He was the founder of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt
(Ikhwan al-Muslimun) and deep impact on global Islamic movements, leading to, among a
number of interrelated areas, movement toward Islamic economics and finance.

Al-Tirmidhi said it is a good (hasan) and sound (sahih) Hadeeth).
15



Shaikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi
He does not need any introduction. He is one of the most well known jurists and scholars of our
time. Apart from his influential and highly popular books, he is the founder and dean of the Sharia
College at University of Qatar and chairman of the European Council for Fatwa and Research. He
is also on shariah boards of a number of Islamic financial institutions.


11
Fazlur Rahman. Islam [Doubleday Anchor, 1966, p. 70]; genuine (sahih), good (hasan) and weak (daif).
12
M. M. Azami, Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature, American Trust Publication, 1977, p. 61.
13
Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi, Hadith Literature: Its Origin, Development & Special Features, Cambridge:
Islamic Text Society, 1993, p. 66.
14
Suhaib Hassan. An Introduction to the Science of Hadith, Al-Quran Society, London
http://witness-pioneer.org/vil/hadeeth/sh_ish/asa2.htm
15
Hasan al-Banna, Aqaid http://www.youngmuslims.ca/online_library/books/the_creed/index.htm. Of course,
the translation into English is not his. However, those who have translated his works have translated the way it
presented above.
"if we investigate the sahih (sound) Hadiths that are narrated from the Messenger of
Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)"
16


Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani
He also should not need any introduction, especially for those from the field of Islamic finance
and banking. He is one of the leading shariah experts, much sought after by the global industry of
Islamic finance.
The Holy Prophet has, in another authentic hadith reported by Imam Bukhari ...
17

Mohammad Hashim Kamali
He is a professor of law at the International Islamic University of Malaysia. He has taught Islamic
law and jurisprudence there since 1985. His works on Islamic jurisprudence and a myriad of vital
issues today have become highly regarded references.

"A hadith is classified as sahih, or authentic, when its narrators belong to the first three
categories. It is defined as a hadith with a continuous isnad all the way back to the
Prophet, consisting of upright persons who also possess retentive memories and whose
narration is free of both obvious and subtle defects.

The hasan hadith differs from the sahih in that it may include among its narrators a
person or persons who belong to the fourth, fifth or sixth grades on the foregoing scale. It
is a hadith that falls between sahih and daif. ... Hadith scholars during the first and
second centuries Hijrah did not speak of hasan as a separate category and the term
seems to have been used from the time of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and al-Bukhari."
18


Here I have referred to only Muslim sources. As far as non-Muslim scholars, the translation is consistently
similar to what is presented above. They also translate sahih as authentic or sound. Thus, none of the
sources cited above, including some of the most notable scholars in the field of hadith literature, whose
works have been translated into English (or they themselves have authored works) use the new
translation rigorously authenticated for sahih and authenticated for hasan.

I am still not aware as to who introduced it when and why. The earliest work available online that uses the
new terminology (and that I could locate) is by Nuh Ha Mim Keller. In two essays in 1995 he used the
terms Sahih rigorously authenticated and hasan well authenticated.
19
I would like to know more
about its origin (especially, if it has been used as convention for generations) and the rationale for it. If
anyone has or comes across more information, please let me know. However, there are a few pertinent
issues to deal with in this context: (a) Why abandon the translation that has been and is still used by the
scholars, especially of the field of hadith literature? (b) Is it a more appropriate translation? And (c) Is
there any problem with such new translation?

First, in the works of reputable and well known scholars, jurists, academicians, as corroborated above,
the variation of translation of sahih ranges as following: authentic, sound, genuine (authentic or sound as
the most common). The variation of translation of hasan ranges as following: good, fair, agreeable,
approved (good is the most common).


16
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-
Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503546332
17
The Text of the Historic Judgment on Interest Given by the Supreme Court of Pakistan
http://www.albalagh.net/Islamic_economics/riba_judgement.shtml . His use of the term authentic for sahih is clear
from the context in which he used it.
18
Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence, Islamic Texts Society, p. 110-111.
19
Nuh Ha Mim Keller. Literalism and the Attributes of Allah in A Primer on Traditional Islam: Essays,
Letters and Lecture Transcripts [http://www.ahl-ul-hadith.dk/ebooks/a_primer_on_traditional_islam.pdf ] p. 31 in the
.pdf document. Also, Why Muslims follow madhabs? pp. 62-81.
Since no one has explained anywhere as to the origin or rationale of this new translation, we cant really
go much further. As is already documented above, Muslim scholars and academics commonly use the
translation authentic or sound for sahih and good for hasan. It is noteworthy that neither of these common
translations or their other variations is as assuming and awe-inspiring as rigorously authenticated and
authenticated. Indeed, scholars, as documented above, usually juxtapose the original and the translated
word or rather use the original Arabic term by itself. If only translation is to be used, why not use the
original Arabic term?

Second, the new translation adds confusion, as what is generally used as translation for sahih (authentic)
is used for hasan there. Therefore, unless the original in Arabic and the translation are used in
juxtaposition, or the readers are familiar with this added confusion, readers might be confused when the
word authenticated is used, because they might be considering it as sahih, when it is being used as
hasan.

Third, another confusion arises in the context of another category called Hasan Sahih. One of the
additions to hadith classification (mustalah al-hadith) made by Imam Tirmidhi, the compiler of one of the
Sihah Sittah, is Sahih-Hasan/Hasan-Sahih category.
20
Indeed, extensive refinement with the hadith
studies pertaining to hasan category is one of the hallmarks of Tirmidhi.

The above ... examples should suffice to demonstrate the nature of the remarks appended by
Tirmidhi to the traditions of his Jami. These hadiths he categorized as either Sahih (Sound),
Hasan (Fair), Sahih Hasan (Sound-Fair), Hasan Sahih (Fair-Sound) ... But perhaps the most
important feature of the Jami, so far as assessments of reliability are concerned, is the cateogry
of hasan.
21


Hasan Sahih is a hadith which according to Imam Tirmidhi stands at a higher level than a mere
hasan hadith, but at a bit lower level than sahih.
22


If hasan is translated as authenticated and sahih as rigorously authenticated, then hasan-sahih would
be authenticated-rigorously authenticated, which wont make any sense. Thats probably one of the
reasons why the Muslim scholars of the pertinent fields havent used or adopted such new translations.

Lastly, those who have introduced such newly translation terms are in a better position to explain their
rationale for it. Those rationales can be evaluated, once we know them. Until then, one can only surmise
that some people might have thought that in an age where hadith as one of foundational source of Islamic
knowledge and guidance is under attack, we need to use terminology that is more awe-inspiring. Using
such terms would give Muslims a better sense of confidence in regard to hadith. Thus, hasan as
authenticated commands much more respect than good or fair. Similarly, sahih as rigorously
authenticated is more assuming than authentic or sound. Furthermore, the new translations allow
even hasan category to sound like sahih in translated terms. This might be important because a vast
portion of Islamic laws, codes and dogmas are based on hasan or even lower grade hadith. Describing
hasan as authenticated is elevating this grade of in the minds of Muslims to a higher level.

Among the few people who have given me feedback on this matter so far is Dr. Muhammad al-Faruque,
Associate Professor of Library Administration and Middle Eastern Studies Librarian at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. From the background of Arabic and Islamic Studies, he also held a similar
position at Stanford University. He is also an active academic researcher. He wrote in response to my
query:

I do not recall seeing this new translation for 'sahih' and 'hasan'. These are terminologies of 'usul
ul-hadith' to denote certain quality and category of hadith. Thus, literal (or non-literal) translation
most of the time do NOT give the same connotation as the original term does.

20
http://www.sunnah.org/history/Scholars/imam_tirmidhi.htm
21
Siddiqi, op. cit., p. 66.
22
Ansari, op. cit., p. viii; for more information available online, see Imam Tirmidhi.

The new translation seems to me an over-zealous attempt to redress the mental set up of
(mostly Western) readers of hadith. I can almost make a prophecy that it would not be popular in
the scholarly circle. As for non-scholarly circle, it depends on how well it is propagated.

I would prefer to stick to the original term and, if necessary, to give a good explanatory note to
it.
23


Dr. Abdulaziz Sachedina is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. His MA/PhD is
from the University of Toronto, and has BA degree from Aligarh Muslim University in India.
24
His feedback
about the new translation is as following:

SAHIH is sound and hence, reliable. Anything stronger than that is contrived. Similarly
HASAN good and hence, admissible, provided its congruency remains untainted. The trend
among those who want to convey traditions as THE source for all Muslim legal-ethical decisions
is to convey what you have seen more recently, which has, as yet, not accepted by any critical
scholarship on traditions.
25


Dr. Mohammad Fadel is an assistant professor, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto. He has a PhD in
Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago (1995). He shared his comments
on IBFnet forum. Note that he acknowledged that he has recently seen the new translation of these terms
and were puzzled as to what that meant.
The ulama have a saying: la mushahha fi al-istilah, meaning, one should not quarrel regarding
conventional terms. The real issue is how conventional terms such as sahih, hasan and daif
are defined. There, the muhaddiths have well-known differences of opinion. I have seen some
contemporary translators use the term rigorously authenticated but was always puzzled as to
what that meant. The muhaddithun, to indicate the conventional nature of the authentication
process, will say things like sahih ala shart muslim or sahih ala shart al-bukhari or sahih ala
shartihima, meaning, respectively valid according to the conditions of Muslim, valid according
the conditions of Bukhari and valid according to both of their conditions.
26

During the past century, hadith as a foundational source has come under serious attack by non-Muslims.
Even some among Muslims have turned toward rejection of hadith as an Islamic source of knowledge
altogether. This is very unfortunate. However, if we want to restore the confidence about hadith,
especially among the Muslims, a vital task, it is important to recognize that in contradistinction to the
extremism of the rejecters, we dont make any untenable claims in defense about hadith. We should
remember that except mutawatir bil lafz category of hadith, even sahih hadith yields only probabilistic
knowledge about what the Prophet has said or done. Thats why we need to be duly circumspect in using
relatively more presumptuous translations of hadith classification terms. This is especially important in the
context of misapplications of hadith in formulating Islamic laws and codes. Please see one of my articles
Islamic Law and the Use and Abuse of Hadith for further details.
27


Hadith literature is precious to Muslims. However, maintaining and upholding confidence in it cannot be
by assigning a lower grade hadith (hasan) a higher-level descriptor authenticated. I am not for merely
following the commonly used classification because it has been used so far. If we can come up with
better descriptors, by all means, we should consider new ideas. However, we must explain what is the
problem with the current usage as well as the relative merit of new translations. As far as authenticated
(hasan) and rigorously authenticated (sahih) descriptors are concerned, as explained here, those not

23
I will update this essay further with further feedback from other scholarly sources.
24
http://www.islam-democracy.org/sachedina_bio.asp
25
Personal email, 11/22/06.
26
IBFnet, Message #5731.
27
Mohammad Omar Farooq. Islamic Law and the Use and Abuse of Hadith [unpublished essay, June
2006]
only do not have any relative merit, but also those add confusion about the currently used translated
terms and also create misperception about hadiths that are lower grade that sahih.

Apart from explaining these problems with such new translations, one important goal of this essay is to
expose those inaccurate assertions that these translations have been in use for generations. On the
contrary, as corroborated in this essay, our respected scholars and academics have not used such terms.
Rather, quite consistently, they have used terms that are less assuming. I strongly believe that it is
preferable that we use sahih and hasan in original Arabic. If we do use English equivalents, what our
scholars have used so far is better not because they have used it to date, but because of their relative
merit over new translations that add to confusion and create misperception.